Linger
by Autumn's Song
Summary: Yes, that's right, another songfic. But this one's good, I hope. In their senior year of high school the couple Arnold and Helga have relationship problems


linger.html Authors' notes: I'm sorry, I truly am a hardcore A+H fan, but I was listening to this song the other day and I wanted to make it into a songfic. What with Arnold and Helga being my favorite couple, I just jumped on the opportunity to write something about them. My first, so I hope you enjoy!   
  
  
  


Songfic for Linger by the Cranberries   
  
  
  
  


Helga sighed as she sat down on her bed. Tears were threatening to come, but she fought all she could to stop them. How could he do this? Be so… so brutal with her feelings? In all her years of knowing Arnold, this would be the last thing he would do.   
  
She loved him, she always had. When she finally had the courage to tell him to his face, he responded positively… with a kiss. She blushed at the thought. Even though it took her 4 more years to do it, she had Arnold. That must've been the happiest time of her life. She shook the thought from her mind immediately. She didn't need to be any more depressed than she already was. She finally lifted herself off the bed, refusing to surrender to its softness, and walked over to her mirror. Picking up a brush, Helga watched herself brush her hair with a forlorn look in her eyes. Catching this she threw the brush down angrily and glared at her reflection. This!… this is making her weak, making her vulnerable. I can't let this get the better of me, she thought.   
  
They had been together all throughout high school to this day, halfway through their senior year. Knowing thinking about it would send her into the dark hole she'd been to so many times before, she decided to call somebody, anybody, to get her mind off of things. How about Lila? No! Her mind screamed at her.

During her high school years she'd become good friends with those such as Lila and Rhonda, and used to smile at the fact that she could talk to either of them to get things off her back… ever since Phoebe moved to Japan with her family to get better aquainted with her heritage. Helga was devastated, especially when she heard that was Phoebe's idea.   
  
But back to Lila…   
  
Helga growled. She should've known Arnold wouldn't have suddenly acquired an infatuation for her, especially since he had shown no emotions pertaining so prior. But why Lila? Helga knew Arnold always had a thing for her, no matter what Lila might have said to guide him otherwise. Helga sighed and sat back down on her bed. I guess I was never the kind of person he wanted. His angelic, virtuous, self must've always craved the goodness that had shone so brightly in himself. Helga laughed softly. He hadn't changed a bit.   
One would think a person would get slightly jaded upon entering high school, but not Arnold. He still did the right thing, and he made many friends because of his insatiable infatuation to party. He has it all, Helga thought, a life, good friends, and the girl he's always wanted.   
Helga took a deep breath before she let herself slip again. No, she thought, I'm going over there right now to talk to him, set him straight. There's no way he'll get away with this without knowing what he's done to me.   
  


When Helga arrived at Sunset Arms, she looked up at it for a moment, debating whether or not this was a good idea. Deciding it was she rang the doorbell, held her breath, and hoped she would get out of there emotionally bruiseless…   
  
" Hello… oh. Arnolds' up there." … or not. As she stepped in she walked briskly to the stairs. She had never seen Phil act so… rude.   
  
When she reached his room she flung the door open and stormed in. Arnold, who had been reading, looked up startled.   
  
" Helga! What are you-" Helga glared at him. She had prepared a speech for him, the beginning of it anyway. Being a young writer she knew it would sound good, so she said it with confidence.   
  
" If you, if you could return… don't let it burn, don't let it fade…" Arnold stood up, he knew where this was going.   
  
" Helga, who do you think you are just barging up here telling me this! Stop being so rude and inconsiderate!" He yelled hoping to get some sort of reaction from Helga, but her got none.   
  
" I'm sure I'm not being rude, it's just your attitude…" Arnold was about to reply when he saw unshed tears form in her eyes. He had never seen her composure break like this, so he merely sat back in shock.   
  
" It's tearing me apart… it's ruining everything." Helga sank back into a chair, knowing she failed. Arnold stepped up, sorry for her now, and walked toward Helga.   
  
" Helga, I-" She looked up at him angrily, as her tears stung her blue eyes.   
  
" I swore, I swore I would be true, and honey so did you… So why were you holding her hand? Is that the way we stand?" She continued more feverishly than before, determined to get this right.   
  
" Were you lying all the time? Was it just a game to you?" Her eyes were suddenly downcast. " But I'm in so deep…" She looked up to him, and saw something that wasn't there before. Regret? No, she won't consider that now. It's not possible.   
  
" You know I'm such a fool for you…" She held up her finger and swirled it in circles as she looked at it sorrowfully.   
" You've got me wrapped around your finger…" She saw him make an effort, a weak one, to say sorry. She knew he wouldn't mean if he said it anyway, but she was tired of being mad and angry… she just wanted to cry.   
  
" Do you have to let it linger." She whispered. " Do you have to, do you have to let it linger." She continued louder, as to be sure he heard. To be sure he heard just how miserable he's made her.   
  
" Oh, I thought the world of you. I thought nothing could go wrong… but I was wrong. I was wrong…" She whispered to herself. She could almost feel the words sting him, she knew he was hurt by this, but she could also tell he didn't quite understand. He never could, he was so dense.   
  
" Helga, I'm sorry. I really am. I just…" He stopped to look at her expression. Helga laughed quietly and sadly. He said it, he said he was sorry. He didn't mean a word.   
  
" If you, if you could get by trying not to lie… Things wouldn't be so confused, and I wouldn't feel so used." Helga lifted herself out of the chair and walked toward the door. Before she walked out of it she looked him in the eye and smiled wistfully. " But you always really knew, I just want to be with you" And with that she walked out, leaving a stunned Arnold to his thoughts.   
  


*~ acabado!   
  
  
  


AN: As you can tell, I made Helga's dialect the lyrics. I thought it would be more realistic that way. Sorry to make it so depressing, but I had to make it that way to coincide with the song. As you know, read and review please. I'm a new author here and I plan to post more stories if you liked this one. Recuerdos, and I hope to see you in the future!   



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